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“We’ve always considered the census to be conservative and out of date the day that it’s issued,” said Bill Mann, the Town’s director of planning and development.

2011 census data shows Milton’s population is 84,362, up from 53,889 or 56.5 per cent from 2006.

However, Mann estimates Milton’s current population is between 94,000 and 95,000, and says by the end of this year it should hit the 100,000 mark.

He said the number of newbies moving into Milton has remained consistent since 2001. Between 2001 and 2006, about 30,000 new residents moved to town, resulting in a 71.4 per cent population increase. The staggering growth resulted in Milton being named Canada’s fastest growing municipality, a title it has managed to hold on to.

Roughly another 30,000 residents moved into town between 2006 and 2011 and Mann expects another 30,000 to make Milton their home between now and 2016 — bringing the population to an estimated 124,600. By 2031 it’s expected Milton will be built out with 238,000 residents.

"We have consistently met and exceeded the identified estimates. The key is that we continue to balance residential and employment growth and continue to manage the Town in a fiscally-responsible manner and in keeping with an exciting land use vision,” said Mann.

Target is currently in the process of developing its 1.3 million-square-foot Ontario distribution centre in town, which will bring hundreds of jobs to Milton and help balance the business and residential growth.

“The key is to continue this balance and to continue to bring forward those priority community projects, which are required to complete the community — for example the Milton arts centre, the Milton sports complex, Milton Education Village, all the while ensuring the required essential services,” said Mann.

While Milton’s Mayor Gord Krantz has embraced the Town’s growth spurt, it hasn’t come without its growing pains.

A hospital built for a population of 30,000 and roads that are frequently snarled by train crossings are some of more comments complaints Miltonians have about the population boom.

Yesterday, the Champion reported that P.L. Robertson elementary school is facing a population crisis. The school built for about 700 saw more than 1,100 students in 2011.

Canada, the fastest growing nation in the G8, grew by 5.9 per cent since 2006, with the western provinces growing faster than the national average. Ontario grew by 5.7 per cent, its lowest increase since the early ’80s.